The Many Uses of Herbs And Essential Oils
For thousands of years the human race has used herbs in various ways. These uses can be placed into three distinctive groups; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the following article we will discuss each of these categories in order focusing upon medical uses and essential oils.
Throughout history there have been many other uses of herbs which we will not be looking at here and these include them being used as money, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to smother bad smells. Herbs originate from various parts of the planet and each culture often had unusual uses for them. It is interesting to note that the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greek and Sumerians, the Romans all wrote about them in detail and other writings exist from Ancient India and China. We shall be concentrating on modern uses.
Herbs And Religion
Herbs are still used in a multitude of across the world. The majority of Christians will remember myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be extremely familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a species of Basil, as it is grown by many and praised as a Goddess. In Pagan and Wiccan faiths herbs are used widely in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Herbs In The Kitchen
The leaves of different plants are used in cooking however there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as parsley, in that the latter are used in minute amounts due to their distinctive, and powerful flavor. Virtually every person in the world has benefited from the these amazing plants which are capable of lifting the plainest meal into the realms of a culinary masterpiece.
The Medical Uses of Herbs
As well as being powerful in flavor herbs can also have a profound effect upon the human body. Some types are used as recreational drugs, such as cannabis, which can cause legal problems as they can also have useful medical properties which are still being studied.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the oil extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are commonly created by the process known as distillation but some need a different method of extraction such as by using solvents or expression.
Essential oils have a variety of uses, such as perfumes, bath oils, flavorings, burning (for scent) and in cleaning products. However most folk know of their use in medicine and especially in aromatherapy and other forms of alternative medicine. I use lavender oil in a variety of ways, I add it to my mixture for my oil burner to make the room smell nice but I also use roughly three drops in a bath when I suffer from aching limbs. When my legs are very painful I gently massage it into the muscles but only when it is mixed with a carrier oil. As well as helping to relax the muscles it also helps me sleep more soundly.
Herbs should be used with immense care as some can be extremely harmful to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are about to have a baby as something that is otherwise safe could be terribly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should be totally avoided in its dilute state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used however to avoid the risk of miscarriage I advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you know for certain they are safe.
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Tags: alternative health, essential oils, health, herbs